Anna

Jezebel Sauce

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This was a very popular post from December 17,2015, especially during the holiday season and into the New Year.  Anna served it as part of her Christmas Eve meal appetizer offering this year.  Just can’t tell you how good this is so you will have to experience it for yourself.

Don’t be afraid of the horseradish!  It’s a subtle kick and the sweetness of the preserves and marmalade pair well with it.

I must apologize for the size of the cream cheese block on the image.  Someone–who shall remain nameless–decided to cut a chunk off for their bagel one morning.  Although the whipped cream cheese container was RIGHT NEXT TO IT.  Just sayin’.  I really need to label my blog recipe ingredients or something.

And a shout out for holding on to your Mom’s wedding china. This is served on a salad plate from her pattern.  I have this and a bread plate.  I try to use these treasured pieces from Mom, and from my grandmothers, to honor their memory and their homemaking.

Jezebel Sauce
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Ingredients
  1. 18-oz. jar of pineapple preserves
  2. 18-oz. jar of apricot preserves
  3. 1/2 cup orange marmalade
  4. 3.5-oz. jar of prepared horseradish
  5. 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  6. 8-oz. pkg. of cream cheese (I use the lower fat Neufchatel version)
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients and store in refrigerator. This will keep well for about 2 weeks. Makes about 3 cups of sauce.
  2. To serve, pour over cream cheese and serve with snack crackers, or use your imagination! But it’s really good on cream cheese. I bet it would be great on a cream cheese bagel.
Adapted from Paula Deen
Adapted from Paula Deen
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Fudgy Bonbons with Candy Cane Sprinkles

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Did you know that today is National Candy Cane Day?  Yeah, me neither. I found out when I was thinking of something to post for today and looked up a list of holidays.  I took one of my favorite candy recipes and added a little peppermint sparkle for a family Christmas party.
  
I can’t really remember the year that I got the original recipe.  I think maybe the first Christmas that we flew home from El Paso, Texas–maybe 1996 or 1997.
  
Anyway, we were at my mother-in-law’s house and I was trying to find something sweet to eat.  There were some holiday cookies and stuff over on top of her chest freezer and so I picked up something chocolate.  I thought it tasted pretty good, although it was dry from sitting out all day. I asked Verna where they came from and she said her sister, Gertie Sutton, had brought them over.  I contacted Aunt Gertie and she sent me the recipe.
  
The first time I made them I thought I was in Chocolate Heaven!  These have wowed my friends and family for years.
 
This recipe, from Mary Anne Tyndall of North Carolina, won $50,000 in the 1994 Pillsbury Bake-Off.
 
 
WARNING: Side effects of this product include addiction and sheer pleasure!
Fudgy Bonbons with Candy Cane Sprinkles
A delectable combination of semi-sweet and white chocolate, with a touch of peppermint sparkle.
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Ingredients
  1. 60 milk chocolate Hershey’s Hugs, unwrapped
  2. 1 (12-oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
  3. 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  4. 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
  5. 2 cups all-purpose flour
  6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
  8. crushed candy canes (opt.)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In medium saucepan combine Hugs and butter. Cook and stir over very low heat until chips are melted and smooth.
  3. Add sweetened condensed milk to chocolate mixture and mix well. Remove from heat.
  4. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off before putting in stand mixer bowl. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla. Mix well on medium speed.
  5. Shape 1 tablespoon of dough around each Hug, covering completely. Place bonbons 1 inch apart on UNGREASED cookie sheet (I use parchment for ease of release from pan for cooling).
  6. Bake for 6-8 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cookies will be soft and shiny but will become firm as they cool.
  7. Cool bonbons completely on cooling racks.
  8. Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave according to package directions. You can add a little shortening to thin, if necessary.
  9. Dip the tip of each bonbon into the white chocolate or drizzle over.
  10. Sprinkle tops with candy cane pieces.
Notes
  1. You can get really creative with the basic bonbon recipe by tinting the color of your white chocolate topping/drizzle or by using a completely different topping.
  2. The basic recipe was originally published in September, 2011.
Adapted from Mary Anne Tyndall
Adapted from Mary Anne Tyndall
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Cream of Mushroom Soup

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I have been on a quest for the ultimate Mushroom Soup recipe ever since I tasted the soup at Pop Ellis’ Soda Shoppe in Abingdon, Virginia. If you have ever been there and tried their soup and have any ideas for duplicating that, please let me know! In the meantime…

This recipe comes from a book entitled  IS IT SOUP YET? which I purchased from a Scholastic Book Fair at my kids’ elementary school, so many years ago.  I have only tried a couple of the recipes from that cookbook, and this is one that I never tried but wanted to.

During a little declutter of my cookbook shelf, I decided this was one of the items that could bless someone else, but before I let it go I copied down the recipe–just in case I could re-create the amazing aforementioned soup.

The recipe comes pretty close, but I substituted apple cider vinegar for the Cream of Sherry, and the taste is a little vinegar-y.

Cream of Mushroom Soup
A tasty alternative to the canned stuff.
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Ingredients
  1. 4 tablespoons butter
  2. 1 lb. fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  3. 3 tablespoons chopped onion
  4. 1 tablespoon flour
  5. 1/2 cup cream sherry (I subbed apple cider vinegar)
  6. 3 cups beef broth
  7. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  8. 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  9. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  10. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  11. 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
  12. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  13. 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (opt. for garnish)
Instructions
  1. In a 4 quart stockpot, melt butter over medium heat.
  2. Add mushrooms and onion and cook for 15 minutes until tender.
  3. Stir in flour and sherry. Cook for 1 minute.
  4. Blend soup with immersion blender (or in small batches in food processor) until smooth.
  5. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, thyme, dry mustard, garlic powder, and pepper and blend until smooth.
  6. Pour back into the stockpot (if you used food processor) and stir in the remaining broth, 1/2 and 1/2, and the salt.
  7. Heat through, but do not boil!
Adapted from Is it Soup Yet?
Adapted from Is it Soup Yet?
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

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This Cranberry Almond Shortbread cookie recipe has been in my TRY ME folder for about a year. They look so elegant, right?

Since you are probably already in holiday mode right now–earlier than last year, it seems–this would be a good cookie to add you your Christmas Cookie Platter or next Cookie Exchange.  My batch is already in the freezer to be ready to use at a moment’s notice.

I thought this was a very easy recipe to make and I have never made shortbread anything before.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Yields 56
A sweet shortbread cookie with the joy of cranberries & almond flavoring. Then there's white chocolate...
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup butter, softened
  2. 3/4 cup sugar
  3. 1 teaspoon almond extract
  4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  5. 2 cups all-purpose flour
  6. 1 cup finely chopped, sweetened cranberries
  7. 8 oz. white chocolate (with cocoa butter), cut up
  8. 2 teaspoons shortening
Instructions
  1. In a stand mixer, beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, almond extract, and salt. Beat until combined, occasionally scraping sides of bowl. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in cranberries.
  2. Divide dough in half, shaping each half into a 7-inch log, 1 1/2-inch in diameter. Wrap each in waxed paper, twisting the ends of the paper to seal. Chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Cut chilled or frozen logs into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.
  4. Bake about 10 minutes or just until firm and lightly browned on bottoms. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  5. In a heavy, medium saucepan combine the white chocolate and shortening and stir over low heat until melted.
  6. Dip each cookie in melted chocolate just halfway then place on wire rack over waxed paper and let stand until set.
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Christmas Cranberry Bread

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Cold weather and Hallmark Christmas movies have me in the mood to make holiday dishes, so this Christmas Cranberry Bread recipe caught my eye. It’s from Magnolia Journal, of course.  Hope you aren’t tired of me sharing!

The combination of cranberries, lemon zest and walnuts had my mouth watering, and when you bite into this delicious quick bread you will be in holiday heaven.

I used freeze-dried sweetened cranberries that I already had in my pantry, so the bread was probably a little sweeter than using frozen or fresh, but it wasn’t overly sweet to me.

Christmas Cranberry Bread
A tasty holiday quick bread full of fruity, nutty goodness.
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Ingredients
  1. 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 2 cups sugar
  3. 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  4. 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  5. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  6. Dash of nutmeg
  7. 4 eggs
  8. 1 cup vegetable oil
  9. 1/2 cup milk
  10. 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  11. 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, halved
  12. 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of 2 9×5-inch or 8×4-inch loaf pans.
  2. In a very large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the oil, milk and maple syrup. Add to flour mixture and stir to combine (this is a stiff batter). Stir in cranberries and walnuts.
  4. Divide batter between the two prepared loaf pans and spread evenly.
  5. Bake about 60 minutes or until a cake tester placed in the center comes out clean. Let stand in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove loaves from pans and cool completely on rack.
  7. Wrap loaves in plastic wrap or foil and store overnight before slicing, Really. It will crumble like crazy if you don’t.
Adapted from Magnolia Journal
Adapted from Magnolia Journal
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

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How often do you use apple butter?  Yeah, I didn’t used to use it that much. Maybe I would buy some at a country store up in the mountains, but it was not a staple in my kitchen.

And then I found this great recipe for bran muffins–moist and sweet and healthy and delicious.  And one of the ingredients is apple butter.  Now, they have some pretty good options at the grocery store but I didn’t see a jar small enough for just a portion for the recipe.  Enter Magnolia Journal and all the tastes.

This is a slow cooker apple butter and it is so good.  Not too sweet, just the right amount of spice.

Go ahead and slather some on a piece of buttered toast–yeah, that good.  We will be eating it more often around here–and it freezes well, so that’s a plus.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter
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Ingredients
  1. 12 medium cooking apples (I used McIntosh and a few Galas) peeled, cored, and sliced.
  2. 2 cups sugar
  3. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  4. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
  5. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Place apples in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
  2. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Uncover and stir. Leave uncovered and cook on high 2-2 1/2 hours more or until apples are very tender and most of the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally.
  3. Cool mixture at least 1 hour or cover and chill overnight. Process with an immersion blender.
  4. Spoon apple butter into half-pint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2 inch head space.
  5. Seal and label. Store for 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.
Notes
  1. Note: You can also process this in a blender or food processor, half a batch at a time. It will be slightly lighter in color and have a thinner consistency.
Adapted from Magnolia Journal
Adapted from Magnolia Journal
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Our Traditional Thanksgiving Menu

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Hi everyone!  I am sitting here at my desk organizing my Holiday Planner.

Every year I tell myself I will be ready earlier than the previous year, and this year is no exception.  We are actually going to be at my youngest daughter’s home for Thanksgiving this year, but I am sure I will be helping out with the meal there.

I will be making a booklet of these recipes, which have been passed down to the cooks in our family, to leave with her so that she has copies of our family’s traditional food.

I thought that I would share this with you a couple of weeks before the big day, just in case you needed some ideas for your feast. You might remember our post from last year, so this is just an updated version.

So here it is. I have also provided a link to the dishes that we shared on this blog. Thank goodness I took a picture of my plate last year so that you can see it up close and personal.

If you see another one on the list that you would like to have the recipe for just let me know! For the yeast rolls, we have several recipes to choose from but the one I use is not on the blog yet.

 

Thanksgiving Menu from Our House to Yours

Deep Fried Turkey
Mother’s Southern Cornbread Dressing
Sweet Potato Pudding
Cranberry Relish
James’ Fruit Salad
Copper Penny Carrots
Seasoned Baby Lima Beans
Giblet Gravy
Homemade Yeast Rolls
Pumpkin Pie with Homemade Whipped Cream

 

Well, that’s a mouthful–literally. Feel free to share your Thanksgiving favorites in the comments.  We love hearing from you.

 

Beef Tips

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As you already know, we first began blogging with several more contributors.  We like to highlight recipes from the past that received a lot of views.  Our sweet Aubrey shared this Beef Tips recipe.  We sure miss her, as she lost her long battle with cancer several years ago.

So here is our remake of this dish, with no changes other than adding some broccoli as a side dish.

It’s tasty and you know how good your kitchen smells when something’s in the slow cooker!

Beef Tips
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. beef tips (any cut of beef roughly chopped)
  2. 1 can golden mushroom soup
  3. 1 can French onion soup
  4. 1 package dry onion soup mix
  5. Hot cooked rice
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker.
  2. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.
  3. Serve over hot, cooked rice.
Notes
  1. Ingredients double easily.
  2. Great dish for sharing.
Adapted from Aubrey Williford
Adapted from Aubrey Williford
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad

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Another venture into Mediterranean recipes brought me this delicious, yet simple, salad with chicken.

I didn’t realize how much I loved the subtle tastes of these foods until I took my first bite of salad.  My eyes closed and all I could say was “Mmmm…this is really good.”

This is a pretty healthy dish–protein, veggies, some healthy fats.  Sounds like a pretty good option for lunch today, right?

Herbed Greek Chicken Salad
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Ingredients
  1. 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  2. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  3. 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  5. Cooking spray
  6. 1 lb. thin sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
  7. 5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
  8. 1 cup plain yogurt
  9. 2 teaspoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
  10. 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
  11. 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  12. 1 cup peeled, chopped English cucumber
  13. 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  14. 6 pitted Kalamata olives, halved
  15. 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
  1. In a small prep bowl, combine oregano, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  2. Place the cubed chicken in a medium bowl toss with the herb mixture.
  3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, then add the chicken. Saute until chicken is done. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and stir. Remove from pan.
  4. In another small bowl, combine remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, yogurt, tahini and garlic. Stir well.
  5. Combine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and olives in a large bowl.
  6. Place 2 1/2 cups of lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 1/2 cup chicken and 1 tablespoon cheese. Drizzle each serving with 3 tablespoons yogurt mixture.
Notes
  1. I was not able to drizzle the yogurt dressing because it was pretty thick. You will probably need to thin this out, maybe with a little milk? I wouldn’t increase the amount of lemon juice.
  2. I found tahini by the peanut butter at my local Wal-Mart.
Mormon Mavens https://www.mormonmavens.com/